Episode 5
"The Magician's Daughter" is the 5th episode of The Mystic Archives of Dantalian anime and the sixth story shown in the adaptation. It's also known as Episode 05: La traviata. Five men, including Hugh's acquaintance Armand Jeremiah, went to the Disward estate looking for Phantom Books. Hugh and Dalian decide to find out why the beautiful courtesan Viola Duplessis is requesting the books from her suitors.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian anime, Episode 5. __TOC__ Summary Inside a laboratory of a dark castle, a beautiful woman awakes. An old man treats her like a daughter. He says she has the beauty that would attract men. Showing a malicious grin, he affirms he will use her for an experiment. Dalian is mad because Hugh is organizing the books spread across the floor. He stops to answer the door. Armand is requesting a Phantom Book. They have a conversation as passengers of a carriage while heading to a brothel. Hugh asks Armand not to call him Lieutenant. Hugh was Armand’s superior in the army. Dalian is interested in Viola, a high-profile courtesan who is demanding a Phantom Book from her suitors, being Armand one of them. With a Phantom Book, Armand would have a chance to marry her. At the brothel, they receive Viola’s address from a hostess. Although the courtesan never gives her address easily, she’s expecting the Black Biblioprincess. Paying for a carriage again, they reach a mansion illuminated by the moon. Dalian affirms Armand can have the book he’s looking for if he can find it in the library at the Disward estate. Melville's laboratory.png|The Earl awakes Viola. Armand's request.png|Armand requests a Phantom Book. Dantalian00007.jpg|Armand receives Viola's address. They find Viola crying while gazing at the moon. Dalian is irritated by the way Armand courts Viola. Impatient, Dalian questions the courtesan. After all, five of her suitors have visited the Disward estate to look for Phantom Books for Viola. She knows about The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, although she has no memories before she came to that town three years ago. Viola has only her knowledge. The mansion and all her clothes were given by her patrons. Dalian tries to kick Armand for his excessive admiration for Viola, but Hugh does it first to protect him. He shoots a winged woman, but all the bullets are avoided. Before leaving the balcony, the magical being says the Earl will be back for Viola the next full moon. The beautiful woman collapses on Hugh’s arms. She doesn’t know what the creature meant by that warning, but she feels the Earl was someone dangerous. Viola’s knowledge tells her that five specific Phantom Books are necessary for her survival. Armand affirms he would obtain the volume she requested. Dalian manages to kick him this time. Blushing, Viola explains she couldn’t run away because there is someone she wanted to be with. Dalian interrupts Armand with another kick and ensures they would be back when the moon is full once again. Under a red-shaded moon, Viola’s mansion is crowded with armed men wishing to protect her, including Armand, who obtained the Book of the Salamander's Seal last night. Dalian mentions The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter to point out how men are always controlled by a woman’s whims. The other suitors also reveal their Phantom Books. Viola appears to thank everyone for their presence. She cries, saying they should run away. When her suitors present the five Phantom Books, the Earl is seen levitating next to the ceiling. The men shoot him, but all the bullets disappear in front of him. They collapse on the floor when the old man swings his staff. The latter wants his daughter back. Hugh notices how the blood of the defeated men turned into liquid mercury. Viola had exceeded the Earl’s expectations in attracting men. Now, he wants to investigate her body to continue his experiment. She’s taken upstairs by the remaining men. The Earl summons five winged women to kill those trying to stop him. The creatures withstand the bullets. Hugh is wounded by one of the monsters. He grabs a rifle before going upstairs with Dalian. As she explains, the Earl doesn’t rely on Phantom Book. He’s a real sorcerer with magical powers enhanced by the full moon. The man introduces himself as Melgar, a researcher who seeks release from death and knows about The Mystic Archives of Dantalian. Melville's monster (1).png|The Earl summons his winged monsters. Dantalian no Shoka - 05 - Large 22.jpg|Hugh tries to ward off the monsters. Armand shows the Book of the Salamander’s Seal and his wish to protect Viola. However, Melgar easily burns the book, which was a fake. The other suitors also try to defend Viola against the winged monsters. With no choice, the courtesan shows an incredible strength and agility to oppose the Earl’s powers. Liquid mercury runs down from a scratch on her arm. The villain exposes Viola as a homunculus born from alchemy, an experiment with the objective of tricking men. His daughter eventually had developed a consciousness and betrayed him. Nonetheless, Viola is still being protected by her suitors. They couldn't let her being dissected by Melgar. When the magician prepares to release his greatest attack, Dalian gives Hugh the right to open the Library. In his child form, Hugh has a brief conversation with the girl in white. She says the books could give her all kinds of experiences and that she didn’t want to leave the place, although she hides how she started to feel alone after knowing Hugh, who leaves with five Phantom Books. The Earl’s powers cause an explosion, but Viola and her suitors survive thanks to the real Book of the Salamander’s Seal read by Armand. Once holding fake items, now the five men were chosen by the real Phantom Books. The Aggregate of Burning Golden Beads is used to shoot magical bullets and defeat the winged monsters. The Sage's Plate summons a shield to oppose the ice crystals thrown by the Earl. The Divine Encyclopedia of the Yin Kings and The Nāgārjuna’s Manuscript are read to heal the wounded and revive those killed by magic, respectively. Melgar admits defeat, admiring how an immortal homunculus could understand love. Before disappearing into a magical fissure in the air, he mentions his wish to see the Black Biblioprincess again. He maliciously gazes at the golden key held by Hugh. It was morning when Armand gave back the five Phantom Books to Hugh. Viola thanks her suitors, who kneel before her, waiting for her to choose one of them to marry. However, she already has a lover. Disappointed, Armand and the others see Viola leaving with an unknown man in a carriage. She apologizes, revealing she had met Baron after asking for the Phantom Books. Blushing, Dalian affirms a woman can be more capricious than a Phantom Book.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian anime, Episode 5. Viola and her lover.png|Viola's lover appears. Dantalian no Shoka - 05 - Large 36.jpg|Dalian blushes. Trivia * In the adaptation, the Earl shows up in a full moon night. On that occasion, the moon presents a reddish color, indicating a lunar eclipse. Curiously, a red moon is a sign of bad omen in some cultures.Lunar eclipse. (2017, February 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:08, March 22, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lunar_eclipse&oldid=765073716 * Among the weapons brought by Viola's admirers are carbines, pistols, rifles, swords, halberds and even a Gatling gun on wheels. Some of those people are policemen, military officers and knights in armor. References Category:Anime Episodes